Hotel-register



9 9 l n a l. d e t n G l a P m YT RS l m B -L E n u. 5 4 m, 7 6 0 N (Application filed Sept. 1, 1898.)

2 sheets-sheet I.-

(No Model.)

N0. 6l7,645. Patented Jan. I0, I899. J. F. DRURY.

HOTEL REGISTER.

(Application filed Sept. 1, 1898.) (N o M 0 de I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. DRURY, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOTEL-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,645, dated January 10, 1899'.

Application filed $eptem'ber I 189 To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. DRURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ohnstown, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hotel-Registers, of which .the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class or type of hotel-registers wherein the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves on which the names are subscribed is secured between ornamental and more or less heavy cumbersome covers flexibly connected or joined together to easily open and close like the covers of a book.

In hotel-registers of the character referred to each time a guest or person desires to register it is usual for the clerk to shift or turn the entire book, covers and all, to bodily reverse its position and place the register conveniently and correctly before the guest or person. I find that the frequent shifting or turning of the entire book, more or less heavy covers and all, is regarded as a serious objection, which it is one of the objects of my invention to avoid by so constructing and arranging the parts that the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves on which the names are subscribed possesses the peculiar characteristic of a center pivot or swivel connection with the ornamental and more or less heavy cumbersome covers, whereby the latter may constantly remain in one fixed position relatively to the inside of the hotel desk or table, while the register-book proper or the bound pile of leaves can be conveniently, easily, and quickly shifted or turned on its central pivot or swivel independent of any movement of the covers to place the register-book or leaves in a convenient and correct position for the guest or person to register.

My invention also has for its object to en able hotel-proprietors to possess at all times handsomely-bound and ornamental registers without involving the expense of providing more than the blank pages upon which the .names are registered.

These objects are accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the ac companying drawings, in which 8. Serial No. 690,018. (No model.)

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the entire register in its opened position and the book proper or pile of leaves partially shifted or turned on its central pivot or swivel. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves, omitting the ornamental and more or less heavy covers. Fig. 4: is a detailed sectional view to clearly illustrate the manner in which the register-book proper or the bound pile of leaves is centrally pivoted or swiveled so that it can be shifted or turned in a horizontal plane when the entire book is opened and lies upon the hotel desk or table; and Fig. 5 is an edge view, partly in section, showing the ornamental covers set in inclined positions to facilitate the connection therewith of the backing to the register-book proper. 1

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The numerals 1 and 2 indicate the ornamental and more or less heavy and cumbersome covers, which are flexibly connected or joined together at the point 3, so that the covers can open and close like the covers of an ordinary book. The covers may be externally ornamented, and as herein illustrated they are padded to a considerable thickness, as at 4 and 5, Figs. 2 and 5, to produce square or rectangular elevations on the exteriors of the cover-sections,whieh possess ahandsome and ornamental appearance. The covers 1 and 2 are each so constructed as to provide pockets 6 and 7 on their inner sides, designed to receive and securely retain the opposite edge portions 8 and 9 of the backing 10 to the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves 12. The opposite longitudinal edge portions 8 and 9 of the backing 10 can be conveniently and quickly inserted into or removed from the pockets 6 and 7 by placing the ornamental covers 1 and 2 in the inclined position represented in Fig. 5 and bending theedge portions 8 and 9 of the backing 1O downward, so that they will slip into the pockets, after which the covers may be placed horizontally and opened and closed without any danger whatever of the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves becoming accidentally disconnected from the ornamental covers, although they can be readily detached by removing the longitudinal edge portions of the backing 10 from the pockets 6 and 7, as will be obvious.

The central portion of the backing 10 is provided with a pivot or swivel pin 13, passing through the backing 10 and through a disk-shaped or other suitably-formed piece of comparatively stiff material 14, which, however, will bend when the backing 10 is bent, as when opening and closing the register. The disk-shaped piece 14: is further stiffened and strengthened by a circular or other suitably-shaped piece of stiff material 15, interposed between the backing 10 and the disk-shaped piece 14.-, and through which the pivot or swivel pin 13 passes, as will be understood by reference particularly to Fig; at. The pile of leaves comprising the registerbook proper, 12, is bound through the medium of the longitudinal strip 16, of leather or other suitable material, which at its central portion, or rather centrally between its ends, is connected with the disk-shaped or other suitably-formed piece 14 through the medium of rivets or duplexed pronged fasteners 17, Fig. 4c. The circular disk-shaped piece 14 is centrally pivoted or swiveled upon the pivot or swivel 13 in such manner that the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves 12 possesses a centrally-arranged pivoted or swiveled connection with the ornamental and more or less heavy cumbersome covers 1 and 2. It is true that the pivot or swivel connection as here illustrated is actually between the register-book proper and its backing 10; but since the latter is connected with the covers 1 and 2 I consider that the register-book proper possesses a pivoted and swiveled connection with said covers. The pivot or swivel pin 13 may or may not turn; but however this may be it is possible for the disk-shaped or other suitably-formed piece 14 to turn in a horizontal plane when the covers 1 and 2 are opened, and consequently the register-book proper or the pile of bound leaves 12 can be shifted or turned in a horizontal plane when the covers 1 and 2 lie in an open position upon the hotel desk or table for the purpose of presenting the register conveniently and correctly to the guest or person who is to register. This shifting or turning of the register-book proper is obviously effected independent of any movement whatever of the ornamental and more or less heavy and cumbersome covers, whereby I avoid the objection which has been frequently made to bodily shifting or turning hotel-registers, covers and all, to place the same properly before the guest or person who is to register. Inasmuch as I believe that I am the first to provide a hotel-register wherein the registerbook proper or the pile of bound leaves 12 possesses a pivot or swivel-connection with the ornamental and more or less heavy cumbersome book-covers, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the exact pivot or swivel pin connection represented in the drawings, as modifications or variations may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The ornamental covers 1 and 2 are of a width greater than the leaves or pages of the register-book proper, 12, for the purpose of providing projecting margins, in which are formed pockets 17 to receive and retain advertisements. These pockets are so constructed as to provide open spaces 18, through which advertisements on cards inserted into the pockets may be viewed. The pockets are open at one end, as at 1.), Fig. 5, for the convenient insertion or removal of the advertising-cards.

My invention provides a hotel register wherein the register book proper can be shifted or turned upon the covers entirely independent of any movement of the latter for the purpose of placing the leaves or pages in correct position for a guest or person to conveniently register, and furthermore, a hotelproprietor having once purchased one of my improved registers can use it with a succession of register-books proper, each of which, when filled, can be readily removed and stored with other records. The register-book proper is removed by simply withdrawing the longitudinal edge portions 8 and 9 of the backing 10 from the pockets 6 and 7 in the inner sides of the ornamental covers. The padding on the exteriors of the covers materially facilitates handling the entire book, because the edges of the covers, when thrown open, are somewhat elevated and more easily grasped, and when the entire book is opened it will lie in a flat position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination with the flexibly-connected covers, of a register-book proper centrally pivoted or swiveled at its back, in operative connection with said covers, to turn or rotate upon, but independent of any movement of the latter, when the covers lie open upon a desk or table, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination with ornamental flexibly-connected covers having pockets facing each other on the inner sides of said covers, of a backing having its longitudinal edge portions removably engaged with said pockets, and a register-book proper having a centrallyarranged pivot or swivel connection with the central portion of said removable backing, so that the register-book proper can turn or rotate upon, but independent of any movement of the backing while the latter is in engagement with the pockets of the covers and the latter are open upon a desk or table, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination with the flexibly-com nected covers, of a backing having a centrally-arranged pivot or swivel pin, a diskshaped or other suitably-formed piece turning upon or with said pivot or swivel pin, and a register-book proper, or pile of bound leaves,

!o nected with the flexibly-connected covers,

substantially as and for the purposes de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. W. REA VINTON OooMBs. 

